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Superintendent's Message
Dear RBHS Students, Families, Staff, and Community,
Winter is finally on the way out, and we are ready to welcome spring. This is a busy and exciting time for the District as we begin to finalize details for the next school year. Spring Break is just a few weeks away, and I hope our Bulldogs and their families have a safe, enjoyable break.
Cordially,
Kevin Skinkis, Ed.D
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The District was closed on Friday, February 9, 2018, due to the snow. District 208 (RBHS) will be making up the snow day on Monday, April 2, 2018. This day was originally scheduled as an extra day off following spring break for students and staff. To avoid moving final exams or graduation, classes will be in session on Monday, April 2. If a student cannot be in attendance, parents or guardians should follow the normal attendance procedures.
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In November the Board of Education approved $3,000,000 in taxable working cash bonds. The revenue generated from these bonds will be used to negotiate an agreement with the Chicago Zoological Society and Cook County Forest Preserve for sole access to the fields on the north side of the school and to address any potential operating costs. The fields are the property of the Cook County Forest Preserve, and the Brookfield Zoo operates them. The Zoo currently uses the fields for overflow parking on high attendance days. Our school district can use the fields when they are not being used by the Zoo; however, they are not fit for any competitions. Gaining a long-term lease for the field space next to the school would be the last item the District needs to address to have a comprehensive high school campus to support a dynamic learning environment. If an agreement can be reached for the District to have sole access to the fields, they will be used for Physical Education classes during the school day and for athletic practices and competitions after school and on weekends. Currently, the baseball and softball teams (all levels) practice and play all of their home contests offsite. Preliminary discussions are ongoing with key representatives from Cook County and the Zoo. District 208 is optimistic that an agreement can be reached.
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The Board of Education will have one meeting in March due to the Spring Break. The next meeting will be Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in Room 201 beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Information regarding Board meetings can be found on the RB website under the Board of Education tab or watch the meetings on
www.rbtv.tv.
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Principal's Message
Despite the cold and snow, our students have been very busy participating in extracurricular activities and earning academic accomplishments. This issue of Hallways highlights many of these events.
From German Exam award winners, a National Merit Finalist, and successes from the Math Team to award-winning student artwork selected in the Scholastic Art Competition, students' hard work and determination paid off as they proudly showcased their many talents.
Student Association created a banner for students to sign during lunch periods in support of the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This banner was mailed to the school this weekend, and we hope as students return to school, it provides them a little comfort to know that our students are thinking of them. We continue to meet with student leaders throughout the building as we approach the National School Walkout Day on March 14. We will send an email to parents prior to March 14 to explain student expectations on that day.
Kristin Smetana
Principal
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Online Report Cards for 3rd Quarter
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We will be piloting online report cards in Skyward for the first and third quarters of the school year. While you have always had access to your student's report card in Skyward, we will not be printing them and mailing them home at the end of the quarter. While we continue to grow our
1:1 Chromebook initiative and increase our use of technology, this pilot will provide you with regular and more immediate access of first and third quarter grades, in addition to increasing efficiency of operations for staff.
The pilot will begin for third quarter report cards this year. Your student's third quarter report card will be available in Skyward the week of March 26. In order to ensure the pilot of online quarter report cards is successful, we have provided step-by-step directions in a video tutorial that can be found on the RBHS website and can also be accessed by clicking here.
We will send you an email notification when the report card is posted in Skyward, so that you know when you are able to access your student's grades. You will be able to print a copy of your student's report card from home. However, if you are unable to do so and need a hard copy of your student's report card, you can have your student stop by the Main Office or you can contact Tammy Mollo, administrative assistant, at
(708) 442-7500 ext. 2110 or mollot@rbhs208.net.
First and second semester report cards will continue to be mailed home in January and June. Semester report cards will be mailed home in a standard letter envelope. You will also be able to access final semester report cards online in Skyward. If you have any questions about this new process, or need assistance with Skyward, please contact Tammy Mollo, administrative assistant, at
(708) 442-7500 ext. 2110
or mollot@rbhs208.net.
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School-wide
Testing Information
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AP Testing
For those students that will be taking an AP test this spring, the AP Student Bulletins have been distributed in AP classes. If your student did not receive their AP Student Bulletin, please have him/her see their AP class teacher, or they may stop in Room 134 for a copy.
All students taking an AP Exam must register for the exam they are planning to take in order to have an exam ordered for them. This registration must be completed online by March 3 and takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Please use the following link to complete the process: AP Registration. Students will still need to attend an AP pre-administration session before or after school on a date that is still to be determined in April.
Practice SAT on March 6 for Juniors
During periods 1-4, all juniors will take a practice SAT on March 6 to prepare for the state-mandated SAT on April 10. More information about this practice opportunity will be announced as the date nears.
School-wide Testing Day on April 10 for Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors (early dismissal)
Student testing with regular testing time will finish around 1:00 p.m. More information will be shared at a later date.
- Freshmen will be taking MAP testing
- Sophomores will be taking a PSAT10 exam
- Juniors will be taking the state-mandated SAT exam
- Seniors will have a non-attendance, college visit day
Parents do not have to register their children for any of these tests.
PSAT 9 on April 17 (required and free for all freshmen students)
All currently enrolled RBHS freshmen will be sitting for a PSAT 9 exam on April 17, in the Field House. No cell phones are allowed in the testing facility. Please make sure that you bring an approved calculator, pencils, and your student ID. Parents do not have to register their children for this test. More information about the PSAT can be found at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9.
Illinois Science Assessment (required by the State for all Biology students)
All RBHS students that are enrolled in a Biology class will be taking the Illinois Science Assessment this spring. The assessment will only be administered via the computer, and the test will be administered on March 20. Students should bring their fully-charged Chromebooks for the exam. More information will be released when available. Parents do not have to register their children for this test.
PSAT/NMSQT
Paper copies of the scores have been distributed to students. If your student did not pick up their score sheet and test booklet, please have your student see Mr. Helgeson before school in Room 134.
ACT
RBHS will host a national ACT exam on April 14. The registration deadline for this exam date is March 3. Students must register for this test.
For testing-related questions, please contact Marc Helgeson, Testing Director, at helgesonm@rbhs208.net.
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The
PTO Announces the New Summer Academic/Leadership
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The RBHS PTO would like to announce applications are now available
for the Summer Academic/Leadership Enrichment Grant on the PTO website.
This grant is to assist students with the costs of attending camps/workshops during the summer of 2018 that provide academic enrichment and/or enhance their leadership skills. This grant is not for athletic or music programs. It is for individual, not group use. This grant is open to current RB freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who will be enrolled at RB in the fall of 2018.
Please place completed applications in an envelope labeled 'PTO Grant' and drop off in the main office for placement in the PTO mailbox no later than Monday, April 16.
Grant applicants will be notified by Wednesday, May 10.
Grant recipients will be notified by Monday, May 14.
PTO Sponsored - Day of Service 2018 - Making a Splash in Our Community
Mark your calendars! This year's RBHS Day of Service event will be held  on Saturday, April 28, from
8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Again, this year our Day of Service efforts will focus on cleaning up the waterways that surround RBHS - the Des Plaines River and Salt Creek. We are developing over 20 service projects in Riverside, North Riverside, Brookfield, Broadview, and Lyons for RBHS students, staff, parents, and community members. Look for information on how to sign up to participate in March and be a part of this great Bulldog tradition! Any questions, contact RBHS PTO Co-Chairs Lisa Gaynor at
ltgaynor@aol.com
or David Kodama at
dkodama@sbcglobal.net
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Student Services Events and Information
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College Planning Tips for Junior Parents
March 6 at 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium
Jim Franko will give some helpful tips for parents of juniors on admission, college applications, and financial aid.
Local Scholarship Applications for Seniors
The local scholarship applications will be available on the Student Services website. The deadline for most applications is March 9.You can access the applications by clicking on the following link,
Local Scholarships.
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There's a lot of exciting events happening out of the library at the start of 2018, and here's a brief look at what's coming up soon!
 Right now, the library is hosting a display by the Ceramics and Sculpture 2-3 class. They recycled some old library books and made some wonderful art pieces!
The Bulldog Book Club has been meeting once per month to discuss a wide range of books, from fantasy and science fiction to mystery and romance. The club has read several of this year's Lincoln Award nominees (Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award) and will be hosting a voting party with pizza and prizes in early March to vote on a favorite book from the nominee list. Any student who has read four of the nominated titles is welcome to attend the voting party!
March Madness: A Tournament of Books is back! It began the week of  February 26, and the games are on! Sixteen books from four different categories were chosen this year. Participants will vote for their favorite title in each match-up to decide which one moves on to the next round! There are a couple of ways to participate and win prizes: students can fill out a bracket to win gift card prizes (top three finishers), and students can win smaller, raffle prizes for voting each day during lunch in the cafeteria.
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Extracurricular Activities Update
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This year the Art Club painted a polar bear sculpture located in the main  courtyard of the school that was damaged and had dated imagery. The members collaborated to come up with a theme and imagery to celebrate our culture and community. They were inspired by a student design used for marketing the School of Art at ISU, discovered after a representative came to talk with our advanced students. The Art Club used this layout to organize text and imagery on all sides of the polar bear. First, it was painted Bulldog Blue. Then, individual students applied white line  drawings on top to represent the different facets of our school. It was a challenge because it is a 3D surface, located outside, and visible by many classrooms. For this reason, Art Club members painted after school hours working around the weather, often on off days with cold fingers with paint that quickly dries due to the temperature. So far, the visual results have been rewarding with a variety of students participating in the process.
The African American Minority Empowerment Club celebrated Black History Month
It was the first time that a large banner graced the outside of the school. Students in the club wanted the community to be aware of the celebration. The club had a bake sale and sold bracelets that recognized Black History. Each morning and afternoon, a special announcement was made highlighting the achievement of a famous African American person. Music in the halls also highlighted the rich contributions of African American artists. Finally, a joint meeting with AST (Association of Students for Tolerance) took on the debate of the use of the "N" word. All in all, it was a busy and rich month for the club and its members.
The Math Team
The Math Team competed at the Lemont Invitational on January 31 and was very successful. It was a tough invitational with 20 schools competing.
The Geometry Team of Jade Connor, Grace Di Bartolomeo, Jacqueline DiMonte, Danny Kawiecki, Will O'Brien, Kathe Pribyl Pierdinock, and Josh Turner placed 4th.
The freshman/sophomore 8-person team of Noah Breit, Jack Jameson, Ryan Lach, Isabella Linarez, Grace Di Bartolomeo, Jacqueline DiMonte, Will O'Brien, and Josh Turner placed 4th.
The junior/senior team of Luka Malovic, Andres Resto, Joey Vitek, Elise Wojack, Mary Clare Greenlees, Hailey Jurgens, Radka Pribyl Pierdinock, and Jacob Wardzala placed 4th.
The Calculator Team of Cassidy Krupske, Jade Connor, Danny Kawiecki, Jason Kenny, and Jackson Hajer placed 5th.
The junior/senior relay team of Luka Malovic, Andres Resto, Jackson Hajer and Jason Kenny placed 4th.
They are now preparing for their regional competition.
Helping Paws Club
 In December, the Helping Paws Club volunteered at a holiday gift party for Chicago Survivors, an organization that supports families in Chicago who have had family members murdered due to violence. They then continued their volunteerism and took 16 kids who live at Hephzibah House to the Zoo Lights at the Brookfield Zoo.
Student Association Update
Student Association held its second Blood Drive of the year on Wednesday, February 28. We appreciate all of the students and staff that have donated blood this year. Our total pints donated is over 200, which can help save 600 lives. We also continue to award 5th-hour classes that dress in RB Bulldog attire on selected Fridays, which has been a great way for students to show their RB pride. We will hold our annual Pop Tops collection & contest for the Ronald McDonald House in April....so SAVE your Pop Tops. SA meets every Wednesday at 7:20 a.m. in Room 201. All are welcome to join at any time throughout the school year!
Ecology Club
This April for Earth Month, the RB Ecology Club is participating in "Project Polar Bear" for Polar Bears International (PBI). The mission of  PBI is to build student awareness concerning the impact of our actions on global climate change. The club has been working for three months to develop their action plan for this international school competition that will be submitted on March 15. Flyers will be posted around the school and cafeteria to inform students of the plan.
The club's plan is twofold:
- All RB students are encouraged to carpool or bike to school on the four Tuesdays and four Thursdays in April. Students who do will receive a polar bear paw print from an Ecology Club member at various stations outside of school in the morning. Students will then redeem their paw print for HERO points during their lunch period and be entered into a raffle for various prizes to be held at the end of April.
- The cafeteria, which already offers many meat-free options (salads, veggie wraps, vegetable pizza, pasta), will also have a special entree each Monday in April (in honor of Paul McCartney's song "Meat Free Monday"). The club will collect data in both March and April to see if students are choosing this healthier choice, which also conserves the water needed to feed cows and reduces methane production, one of the worst greenhouse gases.
Please encourage your child to participate in these two important activities for Earth Month this April!
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Winter Sports Update
A comprehensive winter sports update will be presented to the Board of Education once all winter sports are done competing. This update along with the recognition of winter student athletes for their athletic accomplishments will occur at the March 13 Board of Education meeting. This report will be included in the next newsletter.
 To help keep the Bulldog Community connected, sign up and follow us on TWITTER, @rbhsathletics.
The Riverside Brookfield HS Athletic Boosters are always appreciative of help. Please consider joining the Boosters since all of their funds go directly to RB Athletics. You can register for membership online at
http://www.boosterapp.com/rbhs/
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All members are invited to the monthly Booster meetings that fall on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge. Upcoming Booster Meeting Dates: 3/15, 4/19, and 5/17.
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National Merit Finalist
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual competition for college undergraduate awards. High school students who rank at the top of the academic ability scale are identified and publicly honored. Students enter these competitions by taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test during their junior year in high school. About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 schools participate in the competition. Students ranking among the top 16,000 in the nation (less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors) are designated "Semifinalists" by the National Merit Scholarship program.
 Semifinalists are eligible to continue in the competition for about 7,600 Merit Scholarship awards.
Senior, Joseph Kinnan has met all the requirements to advance to "Finalist" standing in the National Merit Scholarship competition. He is now considered for National Merit Scholarships to be offered in 2018.
Prudential Spirit of Community Award
The Prudential Spirit of Community Award is sponsored by Prudential
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Radoslava Pribyl Pierdinock
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Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). It recognizes middle level and high school students across America
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Kaitlyn Gaynor
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for outstanding volunteer service. Volunteer activities were judged on criteria including personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact, and personal growth. Radoslava Pribyl Pierdinock has been named a Finalist, and Kaitlyn Gaynor has been given the President's Volunteer Service Award.
Regional Scholastic Art Competition
Congratulations
to the following 2018 Regional Scholastic Art Competition winners. These and hundreds of other winning works were on exhibit for the opening reception at Downers Grove North High School, on Sunday, February 4. The competitive show was a collection of the highest quality high school artwork in the region, selected from over twenty schools and thousands of entrees.
GOLD KEY
Natalie Lisle, Photography, 'Longing'
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Natalie Lisle, 'Longing'
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SILVER KEY
Will Gerena, Comic Art, 'Biker'
Natalia Valenzuela, Photography, 'Perspective'
HONORABLE MENTION
Sumner Feary, Photography, ' Double Exposure.'
Gianna Figueroa, Digital Art, 'Nov 6, 2017'
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Elaina Raffensperger-Schill
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Xjavier Olvera, Illustration, 'noodle.'
Elaina R-Schill, Mixed Media, 'Overload'
Fiona Satterfield, Drawing, 'Lungs in Nature'
Riley Shaw, Digital Art, 'Hunt'
Gabby Tarrant, Photography, 'Seeing Double'
Lily Wu, Digital Art, 'Water and Air'
 Illinois State High School Dance Festival Student Showcase
Congratulations to Lilly Dziagwa, for her choreography of "Look Up." This piece was selected to be in the Illinois State High School Dance Festival student showcase in May. The piece was one of 12 selected from 42 dances auditioned by local Illinois high school dance programs.
Illinois Institute of Technology's Digital Humanities Summer Program
Grant Winkler, a student in AP Computer Science Principles, was  accepted into Illinois Institute of Technology's Digital Humanities Summer Program. This new five-day program will introduce high school students to the exciting college degrees and career possibilities in this cutting-edge field. Daily workshops will explore what it means to be human when digital technologies mediate so much of our lives. Students will gain practical, hands-on learning experiences with work in the digital world and create their own audio/visual projects. Only 16 students were accepted into this program.
National German Exam Results
Gold Medals
Jonas Raith - Honors German III
Gustas Gladstein* - Honors German III
Laura McLean* - Honors German III
Eleanor Perrier - German II
Silver Medals
Robert Parisi - AP German IV
Sara Vacek - AP German IV
Kristina Tepic - Honors German III
Bronze Medals
Niela Callanan - Honors German III
Marisa Drake - Honors German III
Jake Strand - Honors German III
Evan Dunbar - Honors German III
Julia Maywood - Honors German III
Sean Par - German II
Sydney Lindenberg - German II
Achievement Awards
Alexander Thomas - Honors German III
Mia Hilligos - German II
Fiona Satterfield - German II
Kathryn Iwaniec - German II
Tara Janney - German II
*These students are eligible to compete for the Study Awards Program for a four week trip to Germany.
 Local Shakespeare Competition
Senior Greg Suarez was the winner of our local Shakespeare competition, sponsored by the Chicago  branch of the English Speaking Union. On January 30, he competed against six others and presented a memorized sonnet and monologue from Hamlet. Sophomore Kenna Howorth placed second with her sonnet and Richard III monologue. Greg advanced to the Chicago competition.
Metro Suburban Band and Jazz Festival
Congratulations to
Joey Kinnan, Joseph Connelly, Adam Wang, Kaitlin Gaynor, Julianna Fields, Natalie Lisle, Matthew Michaelson, Anna Souders, Gracie Fortman, Natalie Baiocchi, Jay Heer, Evan Dunbar, Megan Sroka, and Amanda Enstrom. These students were selected to perform in the Metro Suburban Band and Jazz Festival.
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Staff Recognition
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 Business & Technology Teacher Patty Sarkady spoke at the Association for Career and Technical Education National Conference in Nashville this past December. Sarkady demonstrated how to gamify lessons and activities in any subject. From academic vocabulary and nonfiction text to content specific projects, participants learned how gamification is used to help motivate students. Sarkady currently gamifies her Consumer Economics curriculum. You can follow her class activities on Twitter
@MrsSarkady
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Excellence and Ethics
in Education
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Important Dates
Please check our website for the dates and locations of all performances and events.
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March 5
PTO Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Room 201
March 6
Practice ACT for Juniors
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
March 6
College Planning Tips for Junior Parents
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
March 10
RBEF Telethon
1:00 p.m.
Auditorium
March 13
Board of Education Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Room 201
March 15
Athletic Boosters Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Alumni Lounge
March 15
Big Band Blast
7:00 p.m.
Little Theater
March 16
End of 3rd Quarter
March 19
Music Sponsors Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Band Room
March 21
NHS Induction
7:00 p.m.
Auditorium
March 26 - March 30
Spring Break
April 2
Classes Resume
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Contact Us
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(708) 442-7500
newsletter@rbhs208.net
See our website for individual staff email addresses
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